Australian Women’s Cricket XI does it again

The Australian Women’s Cricket XI comprehensively defeated England in the third ODI played at St Lawrence Ground, Canterbury. England won the toss and elected to field. Australia scored 7/269 in their 50 overs and then bundled out England for just 75 in only 32.5 overs. Player of the match was Australia’s Ellyse Perry with her match-winning bowling performance, taking 7/22 off her 10 overs.

Australia's victory means they lead England by six points to nil and the hosts must win the four-day Test match, worth four points, starting on July 18, and then win at least two of the remaining three T20s - and lose none - in order to wrest the Ashes from the tourists.

Read ESPNCRICINFO’s match report along with the ball-by-ball commentary and the scorecard here.

Clarence cricket clubs can be their own worst enemies

Most sports organisations appreciate the free publicity local newspapers provide them with so it both surprising and annoying to repeatedly see the manner in which some cricket clubs in the Clarence valley submit the results of their matches to The Daily Examiner. Too often incomplete score cards are submitted. The Examiner provides written reports to accompany most matches but it cannot be expected to work magic with the information some clubs supply.

Come on, local cricket clubs, lift your game. It cannot be too difficult for scorers who don't the names of the opposing team's members to ask who it was that caught a catch, made a stumping, bowled a batsman ...

 This post penned by Clarrie Rivers

Finger pointed at local cricket officials who should lift their game

Local newspapers usually bend over backwards to give local organisations, including sport, publicity and the Clarence valley's Daily Examiner is no exception. Consequently, it's disappointing to see publicity officers provide newspapers with grossly inadequate information.

Over recent weeks the Examiner has endeavoured to keep its readers informed about cricket matches played on the lower Clarence. However, the paper has not been assisted by clubs (it seems one club in particular is a regular offender) - scoreboard details provided to to the paper have been scant in detail.

Examples of offending scoreboards published appear below.

Credit: The Daily Examiner

No credit for offending cricket club officials

Big Bash cricketer tells it as it is

Brad Hogg, who plays for Perth Scorchers in the BB, responded with a fair-dinkum double-dose of reality to the Melbourne Stars when the latter complained about having a long trip to Perth for Saturday night's semi-final and that they'd drawn the short straw with less rest time between games than Perth had.

Hogg said, "Stop complaining, seriously. ...there are people out there digging holes for a living and we're actually playing cricket ... so stop whingeing."

Source: SMH

Taylor makes yet another mark after Twenty20 Final

Mark (Tubby) Taylor, former Australian XI captain and now Cricket Australia board member made a proper goose of himself at the awards presentation after the Twenty20 Big Bash Final at Sydney's ANZ stadium on Saturday night.

NSW won the match by one one run, thanks to a bye from the last ball of the match.

Victoria batted first and scored 4/166. Opener Rob Quiney scoring a fantastic 91 off 56 balls while recent Test debutant Andrew McDonald hit 30 runs off 29 balls.

NSW's best bowler was Aaron Bird who finished with 3/21 off his 4 overs.

The NSW side incuded the Kiwi ring-in Brendon McCullum who managed to score just 10 off 11 balls.

Although it was a pyjama cricket match, this game produced the goods for players and spectators - it went down to the last ball.

However, the lowlight of the day/evening was Taylor's "gem".

Taylor, whose public speaking skills are not his greatest asset, took to the microphone and announced that the player who made a fantastic contribution for Victoria (Quiney) was not the recipient of the award.

The TV audience sitting comfortably in their lounges at home heard Taylor's words quite clearly, but poor unfortunate Quiney and his Victorian team mates didn't.

Quiney, thinking he'd been announced as the winner of the award, headed off in the direction of Taylor but then Taylor announced that NSW player Ben Rohrer, who hit 44 off 20 balls and steered NSW to victory was the player of the match.

It makes one wonder how often Channel 9 has to hit the idiot button to ensure that idiotic remarks made by Taylor don't go to air. This writer reckons the controller/s of the idiot button must work overtime.

See the match scoreboard here.

Acknowledgement: Thanks to Bill Leak for his pic of Tubby (above) ... www.portrait.gov.au

And you thought cricketers played for the love of the game

Ever wondered what motivates a bloke - okay, and the odd sheila - to don the creams and play cricket? Well, Aussie cricketer Stuart MacGill (pictured below - thanks, Sydney Morning Herald!) has let the cat out of the bag.


According to MacGill, "People have many different motivations. For some it's ego, some it's for appearances, some it's for cash, for some it's to be a pain in the arse and for some it's to get out of the house."

However, MacGill reckons money is the primary motive for some of Australia's cricketers to play the game.

"I don't think it's a problem - provided the guy does his job I don't care what the motivation is."

Confirming just how out of touch Australian cricket's establishment is Australia's chairman of selectors, Andrew Hilditch, rejected the idea that players were driven by money despite a survey, commissioned by the Australian Cricketers' Association, showing that 47 per cent of national and 49 per cent of state players would consider an early retirement to play in lucrative Twenty20 tournaments.

Read more about this matter in today's Sydney Morning Herald here.

Matthew Hayden - too big for his boots

Just in case his team mates hadn't done enough to disgrace themselves and the national team this season, Australian cricketer Matthew Hayden did his bit with his outburst this week in relation to Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh.

Really, Hayden, like a number of his team mates, has lost the plot. And, where's Cricket Australia standing in relation to this matter? Yes, of course, it is out to lunch yet again!

There can be no ifs or buts. Hayden and his team mates need to have a good, hard look at themselves.

Despite protests and claims that their actions have been harmless Hayden and his team mates who displayed similar behaviours this season are a national disgrace.

It's just not cricket

Bad blood between India and Australia continues in the 2008 international test cricket series, with Anil Kumble's repeated suggestion of Australian 'cheating'.

The whole sorry mess can be reduced to one sentence. A plague on both their houses.

Leopards cannot change their spots

Writing in The Sydney Morning Herald (January 8, 2008), Peter Roebuck has written what most fair dinkum Aussie cricket followers are thinking: "Ricky Ponting must be sacked as captain of the Australian cricket team."

Roebuck wrote:
"If Cricket Australia cares a fig for the tattered reputation of our national team in our national sport, it will not for a moment longer tolerate the sort of arrogant and abrasive conduct seen from the captain and his senior players over the past few days. Beyond comparison it was the ugliest performance put up by an Australian side for 20 years. The only surprising part of it is that the Indians have not packed their bags and gone home. There is no justice for them in this country, nor any manners.

That the senior players in the Australian team are oblivious to the fury they raised among many followers of the game in this country and beyond merely confirms their own narrow and self-obsessed viewpoint. Doubtless they were not exposed to the messages that poured in from distressed enthusiasts aghast to see the scenes of bad sportsmanship and triumphalism presented at the SCG during and after the Test. Pained past players rang to express their disgust (my emphasis). It was a wretched and ill-mannered display and not to be endured from any side, let alone an international outfit representing a proud sporting nation."

Comment:
Events as the SCG during the second test went from the sublime to the ridiculous. Ponting set the ball rolling with his petulant behaviour when dismissed in Australia's first innings. Previously given a "life" by an umpire's mistake, Ponting returned to the sheds after his dismissal (which, admittedly was not a clear-cut decision) and carried on like a spoilt three-year old brat.

Ponting later attempted to claim the high moral ground when he recalled Rahul Dravid because he was not sure if he had held a chance from Dravid at second slip.

However, Ponting's halo slipped again in India's second innings when he claimed a catch in the final session on day 5. Ponting also had the temerity to wave his upright index finger at the umpire on another occasion when the umpire was considering whether a ball had carried to an Australian fielder. The umpire subsequently gave the Indian batsman out - did the umpire jump, or was he pushed?

Ponting's captaincy must be terminated. No ifs. No buts. Leopards don't change their spots - Ponting's behaviour and attitude isn't something that appeared out-of-the-blue overnight.

On a final note, hands up anyone who would like to become a full time cricket umpire. Just as I thought. Although I've been critical of umpires Bucknor and Benson for their performances in the second test in an earlier post, most first-class cricket umpires do an A-1 job. Much of the decision-making by umpires must remain in their hands and on the field. Technology is not, although Channel 9's team thinks otherwise, the only solution. It is helpful in a number of aspects, but it must never replace the immediate and spontaneous actions and decisions that make the game worth going to see live at the ground.


Read Peter Roebuck's "Arrogant Ponting must be fired" at
http://www.smh.com.au/news/cricket/arrogant-ponting-must-be-fired-roebuck/2008/01/07/1199554571883.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Cricket: Questionable umpiring decisions spoil the Second Australia v. India Test Match

Much has been said and written about the poor performances of umpires Steve Bucknor (West Indies) and Mark Benson (England) in the Second Cricket Test Match played between Australia and India at the Sydney Cricket Ground (January 2 - 6, 2008).

A number of very dubious (no, make that downright wrong) umpiring decisions favoured the home team. Ironically, Australia's Andrew Symonds who was a prominent member of the cast in the umpiring controversies was named Man of the Match. Many experienced cricket-goers are convinced Steve Bucknor was easily THE man of the Match. Well, he did make a very big impression on it!

Bucknor's time in the centre must now be drawn to a sad and sorry close. Honestly, he should have stepped aside at a time when he was on top of his game and been remembered for the fantastic contribution he made to the game.

A full report of the game and its score card is at:
http://content-aus.cricinfo.com/baggygreen/engine/match/291352.html